Front Room Transformation Day 8: Carpet, be gone!

After a bit of a lazy rainy morning, James and I set out to tackle the most labor intensive part prior to laying the floors themselves:

Taking up the existing carpet.  And now, for your viewing pleasure....

Sweetpea, our little kitty

Now you see it...

...now you don't.

We got this system down pat...

....what the HELL is that??!!

All we can say is THANK GOD IT DOESN'T GO ALL THE WAY DOWN THE HALL.

We worked like dogs, but it was completely worth it. Four hours later, we have all of the carpets and pads stripped, tack strips removed, and staples pried up. Admittedly, the disco floor is still there, but our minds are still recuperating from the mere shock of its existence.

If they were actual tiles, we would consider keeping some, if not all of them for kitschy vintage flare; sadly, they are vinyl (and vinyl in poor shape, at that) and that's just tacky.